Congressman touts his experience

Monday

Sep 24, 2012 at 11:23 AM

When voters in southern Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes enter the voting booths later this fall, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise said he wants them to remember not only what he has accomplished, but also what’s still ahead.

Jeremy AlfordCapitol Correspondent

When voters in southern Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes enter the voting booths later this fall, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise said he wants them to remember not only what he has accomplished, but also what’s still ahead. Scalise, R-Metairie, went into the election season as a recruiter for the National Republican Congressional Committee, meaning there’s a good chance that many GOP freshmen next term could be indebted to him. It could also mean that Scalise, who turns 47 next week, had a hand in crafting the agenda for the next two-year term.“This election is about jobs and the economy,” he said. “And it’s about controlling spending in Washington.” If he’s re-elected, Scalise notes, he is uniquely positioned to build upon his positions as deputy GOP whip and communications chairman for the Republican Study Committee, an influential conservative think tank in Congress. Scalise is considered to be a leading candidate to become the group's next chairman.But before he can get there, Scalise must defeat four opponents on the Nov. 6 ballot. A runoff, as needed, is scheduled for Dec. 8.Scalise was first elected to the 1st Congressional District during a special election in 2008, but now he’s running in a retooled district, a result of last year's redistricting process.In Terrebonne Parish, anyone who lives below Hollywood Road will be voting in the newly crafted 1st Congressional District. In Lafourche, the district includes everything south of La. 1 as it runs through the St. Charles Community. The district also includes the parishes of Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany and portions of Jefferson, Orleans and Tangipahoa.Challenging Scalise are Republican Gary King of New Orleans, Democrat M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza of Ponchatoula, independent David "Turk" Turknett of Galliano and independent Arden Wells of Ponchatoula. Aside from incumbency, what separates Scalise from the pack is his $815,000 war chest. In comparison, none of his opponents have reported any money raised, according to the Federal Election Commission.Scalise, however, said his experience on Capitol Hill speaks more to his credentials. When Scalise, a former member of the state House, was first elected to Congress, he was charged with overseeing the back end of the recovery process first brought about by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which had a profound effect on his district.Two years later, he was likewise tasked with addressing the aftereffects of the 2010 BP oil spill. Now he’s juggling the task of helping his district overcome the damage wrought by Hurricane Isaac, which made landfall a few weeks ago. Due to the location of the 1st Congressional District, the sitting representative must know as much about politics as about crisis management, he said.“It certainly seems like we’ve suffered more than our fair share,” Scalise said. “But it has also put our delegation in a position where we’re consulting with other members of Congress who have recently suffered their own floods and hurricanes. That has helped us build coalitions to tackle reforms at (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and address other needs.” In that same policy vein, Scalise can stake claim to being a key player in pushing the Restore Act through the House and on to final passage. Scalise, who negotiated the bill in the House, calls it a “major milestone” since the law will direct most of the fines from the 2010 BP oil spill to Louisiana. Depending on a number of factors, BP's fines could range from $5 billion upwards to $21 billion.“During a period where getting anything done with this Congress, in this toxic political environment, it was a major victory,” said Scalise. “But we still have to see it through and make it a priority to have the Justice Department reach a settlement. We have to make sure the money is sent here.” Scalise sits on the House Energy and Commerce, where he has made a name for himself as a avid supporter of expanding domestic oil-and-gas exploration.But it’s also a position that has drawn criticism for Scalise, especially since it played a role in handing down more than $850 million in cuts to Louisiana’s Medicaid program through the federal transportation bill.Karen Carter Peterson, chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, said Scalise and other Republican members from the state “did nothing while Louisiana’s Medicaid program was gored — regardless of the toll in human lives.”Scalise said it was a “surprise” to the delegation and that it continues to work to find a solution.To be certain, it’s just one of many concerns Scalise has heading into the final stretch of the election season. The U.S. House entered its third recess of the month Saturday and won’t return to work until Oct. 1. That’s the first day of the new fiscal year and one day after the current farm bill is set to expire.Louisiana farmers have come to rely heavily upon the current five-year bill that’s winding down for everything from crop insurance and disaster aid to equipment purchases and stabilizing sugar prices.The Senate passed its version already, with $4.5 billion in cuts scheduled for a special food-stamp program. The House bill cuts roughly four times that amount, a touchstone in the debate.“I’m not sure where we’re going to end up on this,” Scalise said. “I really want to separate the food-stamp section from the rest of the farm bill and vote on it that way. The new farm bill was hijacked by the food-stamp program.” In addition to all of the region's traditional issues, Scalise, a systems analyst, has managed to carve out a policy niche for himself on telecommunications issues.For example, Scalise has been working on legislation that would create a marketplace in which video providers would be able to choose whether they want to negotiate with broadcasters and copyright holders rather than being required to, as under current law — in order to purchase content to resell to consumers.“This is the kind of issue that affects the entire country, but also protects consumers in Louisiana,” Scalise said. “It’s also helped me in building coalitions.” While Scalise said he’s staying busy during the congressional recess bringing his message to voters, he added that he’s likewise extolling the credentials of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. After all, the top of the fall ballot has as much to do with the next term of Congress as it does with the next four years in the White House, he said. “We’ve seen that President (Barack) Obama has a record of failure and that he wants to continue what he’s doing,” Scalise said. “Romney offers a new approach. He has promised to reduce spending and reduce the debt. To me, voters have a very clear choice this election.”

Jeremy Alford can be reached at jeremy@jeremyalford.com.

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